Thursday, December 28, 2006

Welcome to the Hidcote Garden...

Knitnana and Birdsong began by discussing knitting Miriam's lovely Hidcote Garden Shawl together for moral support back last fall. Both of us were already overcommitted in the knitting department, but promised each other that they would start at the beginning of the new year... and the idea just grew from there.

First of all, Miriam is a very talented lace designer, and is also a down-to-earth, accessible knitter, just like the rest of us. Second, she has designed several shawls that we all have on our "must-knit" lists... and we think Hidcote Garden just may be the best of all.

This KAL is really pretty simple... we will be starting to knit right away, working together to make our shawls through the dreary days and nights of the "Lace-uary" months of January and February, and finishing when we can.... and everyone is welcome to join us. There WILL be some competitiveness, for those who thrive on it! Check below for prizes...

All you need to do is buy the pattern from Miriam's online store, email Knitnana at the address posted at the top of the sidebar so that we can add you to the KAL, slap our cool button made by Margene on your blog, and start knitting your own version of this elegant shawl. You will be ready when the breezes of spring begin to blow and we can finally shed our wooly overcoats!

In the prize department: the FIRST FIVE people to enter the KAL will receive gift certificates from Miriam for a free pattern. Whoo Hoo! If you already have this pattern, you will be able to use that gift certificate for another of her fine designs... we will email you to let you know you are a winner right away.

Then, Miriam has also generously offered to donate laceweight yarn and the pattern of your choice from her store for the person who finishes their Hidcote first... as determined by being first to post a finished shawl photo. On March 1st, we will have a random drawing for a prize (I will let you know what it is later), pulled from all who have finished, and a second random drawing from all who joined. Happy Knitting!

please can I join too! Have yarn, have pattern, just need to finish off something else, do the swatch and treat myself to some new needles! Judith in dry Canberra, Australia where it's really tooo ho to knit!